Mikey Simon

Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship/research opportunity/fellowship. 

I discussed the opportunity of interning at Channel 7 Sports with the lead Sports anchor, Steve Shapiro. I then contacted the Executive Sports Director and set up an interview. 

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity? 

I applied for this internship about 3 months prior to the start date. 

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity. 

I was responsible for assisting with interviews of sports players and coaches, creating edits of those interviews and games, and also creating the scripts for what the anchors will say on camera about each story. 

What was a typical day like "on the job?" 

If I worked in the office, I'd come in and usually either begin making edits with my coworkers for the next sports segments upcoming, or I would watch the Marlins games and log everything important that happens on a special editing software they use. On the other hand, I will sometimes go out to different events/interviews such as Miami Dolphins Training Camp, Miami Marlins games, Florida Panthers practice facility, etc. with the intention of gathering content and interviewing important people afterwards. 

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?
 
I learned how important it is to build up relationships in the sports industry which will in return give you more opportunities to get exclusive content that others wouldn't be able to get. I also learned how it is imperative to be on time by the second in this business as being late at all could affect more than just you and can make the final product far from desirable. 

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so? 

This experience gave me clarity on what this industry is truly like, beyond what you see on the television. I definitely am more interested in this career path than I was when I first applied for the internship.